1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the configurations of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus adopting an electrophotographic image forming process such as a laser printer and an electrophotographic copying machine, and further relates to a process cartridge and the configuration of a part connecting member that is made from a synthetic resin and is for the use of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus and the process cartridge.
Hereupon, the electrophotographic image forming apparatus is a device for forming an image on a recording medium by adopting an electrophotographic image forming process. Examples of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus include, for example, an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (such as a laser printer, an LED printer and the like), a facsimile machine, a word processor and the like.
Incidentally, the process cartridge is a device that is made by the integration of charging means, developing means or cleaning means, and an electrophotographic photosensitive member as a cartridge which is detachably mountable to the main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. And also, the process cartridge is a device that is made by the integration of at least one of charging means, developing means and cleaning means, and an electrophotographic photosensitive member as a cartridge which is detachably mountable to the main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. Furthermore, a device that is made by the integration of at least developing means and an electrophotographic photosensitive member as a cartridge which is detachably mountable to the main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus is also called as the process cartridge.
2. Description of the Related Arts
At first the outline of a conventional color laser printer is described on the basis of the cross section of FIG. 20.
In FIG. 20, reference numeral 105 designates a rotary developing apparatus including developing devices 105M, 105C, 105Y and 105B equipped with a magenta toner, a cyan toner, a yellow toner and a black toner, respectively. These four color developing devices 105M, 105C, 105Y and 105B are disposed rotatably around a shaft 105e. Each center of the developing devices 105M, 105C, 105Y and 105B rotates in connection with a rotating gear disposed on the outer periphery of a revolving gear to keep their postures constant. Then, at the time of the formation of an image, one of the developing devices 105M, 105C, 105Y and 105B corresponding to a latent image stops at a position opposed to an image bearing member 104, and then a developing roller 105b is positioned to be opposed to the surface of the image bearing member 104 with a narrow gap between them.
Then, at the time of developing, by the application of a bias voltage on the developing roller 105b and by the rotation driving thereof, the developing roller 105b develops the latent image on the image bearing member 104 to visualize the latent image as a toner image.
Now, a supply roller 105a rubs against a developing roller 105b, both being disposed in each of the developing devices 105M, 105C, 105Y and 105B. Each supply roller 105a scrapes off the developer that did not contribute to the last development, and fresh developer is always supplied to the developing roller 105b. A toner container for supplying developer to the developing roller 105b is integrally provided to each of the developing devices 105M, 105C, 105Y and 105B. Hereupon, a conventional toner container is described.
FIG. 1B is a principal section showing a conventional toner container 40. A toner container 42 and a lid 41 of the toner container are joined by the flowing of the same resin into gaps 142a and 142b formed between molded pieces in a die in conformity with the die slide injection molding method using the same die at the molding process and the forming process, which method is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 2-38377.
Flanges 143a, 143b, 143c and 143d are formed on the toner container 42 and the lid 41 at the gaps 142a and 142b between the molded pieces. Moreover, portions 144a, 144b, 144c and 144d recessed or projected in a die cutting direction are formed on the back surfaces of the flanges 143a, 143b, 143c and 143d intermittently or continuously along the lengthwise direction of the die. The portions 144a, 144b, 144c and 144d are engaged with prescribed portions in the die.
Furthermore, an entrance through which a material for joining is injected into the gaps between the molded pieces, or a gate 72 in the terminology of molding techniques, is formed on substantially an extension line of the gap 142a, which is formed between frames, in a horizontal direction as shown in FIG. 7. Molten resin perpendicularly flows into the gap 142a between the molded pieces from the horizontal direction through the gate 72 as indicated by an arrow 70.
However, in the conventional toner container, because the position of the entrance for injecting the material for joining into the gap between the molded pieces, which entrance is called the gate in the terminology of molding techniques, should adjoin the gap, the direction of the injection of the resin is inevitably determined. Consequently, restriction on the designing of the die is tight.
The present invention is one that further improves the related art for resolving the aforesaid problem.
One object of the invention is to provide a part connecting member that realizes the improvement of molding workability, a process cartridge using the part connecting member, and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus that can detachably mount the process cartridge.
Another object of the invention is to provide a part connecting member in which the direction of the injection of resin can arbitrarily be determined, a process cartridge using the part connecting member, and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus that can detachably mount the process cartridge.
A further object of the invention is to provide a part connecting member that can improve the degree of freedom of the designing of dies to be used for molding, a process cartridge using the part connecting member, and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus that can detachably mount the process cartridge.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a part connecting member that realizes the improvement of the degree of freedom of the designing of a product, a process cartridge using the part connecting member, and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus that can detachably mount the process cartridge.
A still further object of the invention is to provide the configuration of a hollow body that is made from a resin and that has restriction on the designing of a product and the manufacturing of the product as little as possible for obtaining a product of high quality in a configuration formed by the following processes. That is, for example, at least two molded pieces obtained by the injection molding of plastic are provisionally connected by being adjacently arranged or abut against each other. The provisionally connected bodies are set in a die different from the dies used for the formation of each molded piece. Then, in a state such that each molded piece and the die are positioned, the molded pieces are joined by the injection of a molten resin material for joining into a gap formed between the opposed surfaces of the molded pieces that are adjacently arranged or abut against each other.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a part connecting member, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, both using the part connecting member made from a synthetic resin. One of the molded parts forming a gap between opposed surfaces that are adjacently arranged or abut against each other forms an injection channel of a molten resin up to a connection portion in configuration formed by the following processes. That is, at least two molded pieces obtained by the injection molding of plastic are provisionally connected by being adjacently arranged or abut against each other. The provisionally connected body is set in a die different from the dies used for the formation of each molded piece. Then, in a state such that each molded piece and the die are positioned, the molded pieces are joined by the injection of the molten resin into the gap formed between the opposed surfaces of the molded pieces that are adjacently arranged or abut against each other.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a part connecting member, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, both using the part connecting member made from a synthetic resin, and the part connecting member comprises first to fourth frames being molded pieces. The third and the fourth frames form an injection channel of a molten resin up to a connection portion in the following configuration. That is, the part connecting member is configured by provisionally connecting side faces of the first frame and the second frame on one end side and the other end side of the frames in a state of being adjacently arranged or abutted against each other with the third frame and the fourth frame, first. Then, the provisionally connected member is set in a die different from dies used for formation of each of the molded pieces. Moreover, a molten resin is injected in a gap formed between opposed surfaces of the molded pieces that are adjacently arranged or abutted against each other to connect the molded pieces in a state such that each of the molded pieces and the die are positioned a gap.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a part connecting member, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, both using the part connecting member made from a synthetic resin. The part connecting member is configured in conformity with the following processes. That is, at least two molded pieces obtained by the injection molding of plastic are provisionally connected by being adjacently arranged or abutted against each other. The provisionally connected member is set in a die different from the dies used for the formation of each molded piece. Then, in a state such that each molded piece and the die are positioned, the molded pieces are joined by the injection of a molten resin material for joining into a gap formed between the opposed surfaces of the molded pieces that are adjacently arranged or abutted against each other. A portion of the opposed surfaces to be connected with the molten resin when the molten resin flows into the gap is not all of the peripheries of the gap.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a part connecting member, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, both using the part connecting member made from a synthetic resin, and the part connecting member comprises first to fourth frames several of which comprise a molded piece. The third frame and the fourth frame provisionally connect the side faces of the first and the second frames on one end side and the other end side of the frames in a state of being adjacently arranged or abutted against each other. Then, the provisionally connected member is set in a die different from dies used for the formation of each of the molded pieces. Moreover, a molten resin is injected to connect the molded pieces into a gap formed between opposed surfaces of the molded pieces that are adjacently arranged or abutted against each other in a state such that each of the molded pieces and the die are positioned. A portion of the opposed surfaces to be connected with the molten resin when the molten resin flows into the gap is not all of the peripheries of the gap.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.